[You endure their cheap shots and hit back hard. Those punks guarding you are getting elbowed into misery.]
[You think to yourself, these idiots are asking for trouble.]
[End of the third quarter: Hozumi still leads by eight. You're up to 25 points, 8 rebounds, 7 assists, plus a block and two steals.]
[You can feel fatigue creeping in. The high-intensity pace is wearing on your not-yet-fully-recovered body. You're not ready to swim freely in this pond yet.]
[Fourth quarter starts. Your speed slows down, your shooting percentage dips.]
[Luckily, your opponents are gassed too—their rhythm drops, and shots start clanging.]
[The game tightens. Every possession's a grind.]
[Finally, the buzzer sounds. You're the ones smiling at the end—another hard-fought victory. One step away from qualifying for the National Tournament.]
[You finish with a monstrous stat line: 32 points, 10 rebounds, 11 assists, 3 steals, 2 blocks.]
[Your style's still simple—so simple it feels like basketball in its purest form.]
[But now, nobody dares overlook you. In the toughest game yet, you put up the toughest performance—leading in all five categories.]
[People are losing their minds over you.]
[But Momoi notices something else—your shot attempts have gone up a lot, yet your overall accuracy hasn't improved.]
"Ceiling's a 30+ triple-double, huh..."
Outside, Souta stays silent again.
If this were before, he'd be satisfied with that—numbers like these scream "basketball prodigy."
But not in this world. Not when the competition's insane.
He thinks of Murasakibara Atsushi dropping a hundred points in a single game. Midorima never missing a three. Akashi cutting through defenders like they're air.
And suddenly, satisfaction feels impossible.
"I still need to find a way to raise my ceiling."
He knows his current level is already national-class—maybe even enough to challenge the Uncrowned Kings.
Because Souta's got his own weapon: perfect fundamentals.
The problem is…
Between the Uncrowned Kings and the Generation of Miracles lies a gap the size of the Pacific Ocean.
He remembers vividly—when Akashi first started mastering the Zone, he went one-on-three against Hayama Kotaro, Mibuchi Reo, and Nebuya Eikichi… and destroyed them all.
The Simulation continues.
[With this key victory, you're just one win away from reaching the National Tournament.]
[Your biggest rival's already fallen. The path ahead looks bright.]
[Another day passes. The round-robin tournament goes on.]
[Your game's in the afternoon, but the morning match starts first.]
[Yesterday's opponents barely scrape by—winning by five points in a grueling back-to-back—to keep their qualification hopes alive.]
[Afternoon comes. Your final game. Win, and you advance directly. Lose, and you'll tie another team on points—meaning the final slot comes down to point differential.]
[Back-to-backs are brutal. But your opponents have it even worse—they're on a double-header day.]
[The match isn't pretty. All you can hear in the gym is the relentless clank, clank, clank of missed shots. Not the dramatic kind of miss—just pure, ugly bricks.]
[Together, you and your opponents put on a spectacular brick-laying contest.]
[By halftime, both teams' field goal percentages are under 50%.]
[In this dull slugfest, your consistency becomes the deciding factor.]
[You're the only player shooting above 50%, with 17 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists by halftime.]
[Momoi Satsuki doesn't bother coming to watch today. She feels she's gathered enough data on you. You're definitely a basketball prodigy—but just a normal one. Not someone who could threaten Teiko's dominance.]
"If this were a game, your whole team's rated 99. Beating you guys would be a miracle," Souta mutters, taking a sip of water.
He's not discouraged, though—because he's got his own kind of cheat.
Sooner or later, he'll stand among the Generation of Miracles himself.
[In a game this dull, your consistency makes all the difference.]
[Thanks to your steady play, Hozumi Academy wins again—finishing the round-robin tournament undefeated and securing Tochigi Prefecture's National Tournament qualification.]
[You lift the prefecture tournament championship trophy. A gold medal hangs around your neck. You're named MVP of the prefecture tournament and selected for the All-Tournament Team. You become the face of Tochigi basketball…]
[You and your teammates celebrate late into the night. The next day, the coach gives everyone a day off.]
[You don't push yourself. Instead, you take that day to rest and recover.]
[After a day of rest, you dive back into training. There's still half a month left before the National Tournament begins, and you're determined to get your body back to peak condition.]
[Sora wants to go out and play—she begs you to take her. You refuse. She gets mad again, swearing she won't talk to you for a day.]
[The next day, she asks again. You tell her flatly, "Right now, all I see is the National Tournament."]
[Sora pouts, turns, and walks out of your room. True to her word, she doesn't say a single word to you all day.]
"This stubborn little brat…"
Souta rubs his forehead.
Kasugano Sora had always been frail, easily winded after the smallest bit of exercise. Because of that, she often skipped school and eventually turned into a full-fledged shut-in.
Her world was small.
Before, it was her parents, Kasugano Haruka, and him.
Now, it was just Haruka and him.
"I'll take her out next time," Souta murmurs, eyes fixed back on the Simulation screen.
[Half a month later, the National Tournament begins.]
[Your team is fired up, overflowing with confidence, ready to make history for Hozumi Academy.]
[Who says a music school can't play basketball?]
[But in the round of 64, you barely scrape by—battling a team from Gunma Prefecture all the way to the final second. Only a banked mid-range jumper from you seals the win at the buzzer.]
[The whole team erupts, shouting in triumph as the final horn sounds. You roar too, overcome with adrenaline.]
[But the celebration doesn't last long.]
[In the round of 32, you run into Hayama Kotaro's team. And lose.]
[Eliminated—top 32 finish.]
"Just the top 32?" Souta frowns.
[You can't accept it. Ever since you got your Cheat, you thought your only real rivals were the Generation of Miracles. You overestimated yourself.]
[You still play solidly—24 points, 6 rebounds, 7 assists.]
[But even near-triple-double stats aren't enough to cover the gap between the two teams.]
[After the game, Hayama Kotaro walks up and praises your skills, extending his hand.]
[You ignore it and turn away without hesitation.]
[You don't need the victor's pity—it makes you sick.]
[For you, "not strong enough" is the only reason for losing.]
[Your National Tournament run ends here—round of 32.]
[Back in daily life, your training intensifies. You push your body harder than ever, chasing your former peak.]
[You stubbornly believe that if Aomine, Akashi, or Murasakibara had led Hozumi Academy instead, they'd have gone further.]
[You hate how weak you still are.]
[Soon after, the Basketball Club holds a farewell ceremony. The third-years retire from the team, smiling. There's no regret—they've made history.]
[For a music school like Hozumi, making the top 32 nationwide is already their greatest achievement.]
[They leave with bright smiles. You can hardly stand to look at them—their smiles are blinding.]
[Next to you, Sakurai Ryo feels the pressure like a mountain on his shoulders.]
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